Denver Colfax Marathon

Sign up to Run Colfax and select Project Safeguard as your charity at www.runcolfax.org/races/register.

Project Safeguard (PSG) assists survivors of gender-based violence (including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking) in utilizing the civil legal system to increase safety and move forward from the trauma of their victimization. The organization supports survivors in the process of obtaining and enforcing civil protection orders, navigating complex and contentious divorce and custody proceedings, and accessing immigration protections available as a result of their victimization.

PSG’s non-attorney legal advocates specialize in intensive assistance for survivors who are ready to pursue civil legal solutions. They help with safety planning, provide support in court proceedings, and refer survivors to other resources they may need. The Legal Advocacy Program provides a foundation from which survivors can begin their journey to safety. For many of PSG's clients, non-attorney services sufficiently meet their needs, but those with more complex legal needs and safety concerns benefit greatly from access to and support from a licensed attorney. PSG's Attorney Services Program has staff and contract attorneys available to meet this need.

According to researchers Hartley and Renner, “…domestic relations, which includes divorce, custody/visitation, and/or child support petitions, and CPOs, is probably the most commonly used area of civil legal relief for women who experience domestic violence.” Legal advocacy and representation in these areas has been shown to reduce revictimization and provide survivors with the stability they need to move forward and heal from their trauma. 

A 2004 study looking at custody proceedings involving domestic violence found that the average cost of cases filed by protective mothers is over $90,000. More than a quarter of study participants were forced to file bankruptcy as a result of filing for custody. Fortunately, research has also found “…having an attorney’s assistance with ancillary legal matters further helps women achieve greater economic self-sufficiency (and perceptions of self-sufficiency), which in turn makes leaving their relationships a more realistic option.”

Navigating the legal system is complex and intimidating for anyone, and that is even more true for people who have experienced violence or abuse. PSG works to level the playing field and create more equitable access to the civil legal system for survivors, by working alongside them to make the process a little less daunting. Without such a resource, people are more likely to give up and see abuse as their only option. PSG’s model of pairing wrap-around civil legal advocacy with long-term, multi-issue legal representation for survivors of gender-based violence is unique in Metro Denver.